Protective curtain



'hilly 31, i923- 1,463,431

L NEFT l-:T-AL- PROTECTIVE CURTAIN Filed June 27, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l JEWELRY V@H501 nu,

l. NEFT ET AL PROTECTIVE CURTAIN' y `July 3l, 1923- 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27 atto: nu,

Patented July 31, 1923.

' UNITED STATES ISIDORE'NEET AND HUGH. P. NASS, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

PATENT OFFICE.

PROTECTIVE CURTAIN.

Application le June 27, 1921. Serial No. 480,857.

tective. Curtains, ofwhich the following is a,y

'i' specification.

This invention realtes to protective curtains for display windows, show cases, and the like, and it comprises a foldable curtain, means. for opening said curtain to operative position, control means to normally maintain fsaid curtain in folded position, said control means being rendered inoperative by the breaking of the window to permit said curtain to assumeian opened position, and

a. nieansfor locking said curtain when opened.

vzo

In the present invention, we have provided a theft preventing device adapted to be arranged on store windows, such as windows of jewelry stores-or windows of any sort in which valuable articles are displayed` The device may also be applied to show cases and other glass containers.

The -invention comprises a screen or curtain made of suitable material adapted to be folded at `the top or one side of the window undernrmal conditions. A weight or other suitable means is `provided for the purpose of' opening the curtain when released. Thetendency of the weight to open the ouri tainl normally overcome by suitable control,` means., suchv as'an electro-magnet nformallyfenergized to maintain the weight in raisedV position. Then the magnet is deenejrgiaed, the weight lowers the curtain adjacent the glass and; an automatic locking device; is employed for the purpose of inimediately locking the curtainin frontv of the opening made by breaking the window.

In the accompanying drawings, we have shown several embodiments of the invention. In this showing:

Figure l is a front elevation of one form of the invention,

Figure 2 is a detail view of a portion of the curtain,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View,

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuits, and

Figure 5 is a front elevation showing a slightly different form of curtain,

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates the glass which may be the window of a store, the front of a show case, or a portion of any other display case employed for holding articles of value. As

shown, the glass is mounted in a suitable i frame 2. A curtain 3 is secured to a suitable supporting member. 4, arranged at the top of the window, the curtain being made of canvas or other suitable material and being foldable. AS shown, a frame comprising sections of wire 5, hingedly secured to each other as at 6 may beattaclled to the curtain to prevent a thief from cutting through the curtain when in operative position. Abar 6, having a weight 7 attached thereto, is secured to the bottom of the curtain, and vthis weight is. adapted to normally holdY the curtain in open position, as illustrated in Figure l. The curtain is maintained in folded position by means of an electro-magnet 8, which when energized, attracts the bar 6 with sufficient force to overcome the force of gravity. It will be apparent that when the magnet is deenergized, the weight 7 will cause the curtain to lower and close the window space. The bar 6 is provided with a plurality of teeth 9 which, when in lowered position, are adapted to cooperate with a catch 10, pivotally mounted below the window frame, as at 11,

andV provided with aspring 12 andnormally maintaining it in forward position. A suit-H site pole of said source of current is provided with a lead wire 16. branch wire 17. The branch wire is connected-,to a suitable conductor 18, arranged in the window frame (see Figure l). The conductor 18 extends around the window frame and the opposite end is connected to the electro-magnet by a connection 19. It will be apparent that when the conductor 18 is broken, as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, the circuit through the magnet will be interrupted. A suitable switch 20'may be provided in one of the connections to the source of current, to permit the the source of current is connected to a bell.

or other signal device 2l'. The bell is connected to a contact member 22 by a connection 23. rl`his contact member is adapted to Contact with a pivoted Contact member 24, Connected to the other lead wire 1G from the source of current. As shown, in Figure 3 of the drawings, the pivoted contact member 24; is provided with an extension 25, adapted to be engaged by the curtain when the curtain is in folded position to space the contacts 22 and 24. Then the curtain is moved to open position, the contact 24e is caused to engage the vcontact 22 by suitable spring 26, thus closing the circuitthrough the bell.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, the construction and operation is essentially the same except that the curtain 27-is fan shaped, and

is arranged at the side of the window when in closed position. The magnet 8 is arranged at the upper end of the curtain and the curtain is pivotally mounted at thel bottom of the window, as at 28. When the magnet is deenergized, the curtain opens across the window. The teeth 9 of the bar 6 are carried near the upper corner of the curtain which, whenjin open position will 'be arranged at the bottom of the window opposite the pivot.

The operation of the device will bev apparent from the foregoing description.

-When the glass 14 is broken, the circuit through the electro-magnet 8 is interrupted and the vmagnet deenergized.V The force of gravity acting on the rod 6 and the weight connected to a tion. The provision of the wire framework 5 prevents the thief from cutting an opening through the curtain Ysufliciently large to gain access to the interior of thewindow.

lVhen the signal 2l is employed, the opening of the curtain closes the contacts 22 and 24, and an alarm is sounded'to notify a watchman or policeman that a robbery is being attempted.

It is to be understood that the forms of our invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changesiu the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted towithout departingfrom the spirit of'ou-r invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim l. In a protective device 'for show w-indows, a foldable curtain having one end secured above the window, a bar secured to the free' end of said curtain, an electro magnet arranged above said window adapted to attract said bar when energized to retain the curtain in a. raisedposition, a weight carried by said bar and adapted to lower the curtain when the magnet is deenergized, and means for locking said curtain in lowered position.

2. A. protective device for show windows, comprising a foldable curtain having one end secured above the window, a bar con lower said Vcurtain when the magnet is de` 1 energized, said bar being provided with a plurality of teeth, and a pivoted catch :1r-- ranged at the bottom of. said window adapt-V curtainin loweredy position. Y i

In testimony whereof we affix ourf signatures in presence .of two witnessesi Ismonn Narr.. HUGH n Nass.

ed to engage one of said teeth to retain the- VIVitnesses:

W. E. FRoNDE, H. M. CRAMER. 

